Early last year, Dr. Ben Musher received an email from the wife of one of his patients who had passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. In gratitude for all Dr. Musher had done for her husband, the woman wished to give in support of his pancreatic cancer research.
Dr. Musher was touched by her gesture and referred the patient’s wife to Isabel Flame, who leads Baylor’s Grateful Patient Program. He mentioned that her past giving had been modest, so this gift would probably be as well, but he wanted to make sure she was taken care of and that her donation experience was as pleasant as possible, especially given the circumstances. Ms. Flame agreed to assist.
And then the truth came to light.
The patient’s wife was donating $50,000, with a matching gift from a former Baylor Board of Trustees member doubling the impact to $100,000. Baylor’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs mobilized to properly handle the gift and support the patient’s wife through the process. Moved by the opportunity to make a difference, the patient’s wife later committed an additional $40,000, bringing the total gift to $140,000.
Her generosity was made possible by the care and diligence of her husband, who had ensured his family’s financial security long before his death. His foresight guided his wife and sons when they decided to honor his life by giving to Dr. Musher’s pancreatic cancer research.
Their act of gratitude has helped them in healing. In turn, it inspired additional investment in Dr. Musher’s research and the hope that, someday, pancreatic cancer patients will have a cure.
